Whilst expressing my wishes to the Commanding Officer of the “Terra Nova,” I have given him full discretion to act according to circumstances, in carrying out the further programme of the season.

You will, of course, be under his orders and receive his instructions concerning your further movements.

In your capacity as leader of a party I cannot too strongly impress on you the necessity for caution in your movements.  Although you will probably travel under good weather conditions, you must remember that violent storms occasionally sweep up the coast and that the changes of weather are quite sudden, even in summer.  I urge this the more especially because I think your experiences of last year are likely to be misleading.

I am confident that it is not safe for a party in these regions to be at a great distance from its camp, and that, for instance, it would be dangerous to be without shelter in such storms as that encountered by the “Discovery” off Coulman Island early in January, 1902.

With camp equipment a party is always safe, though it is not easy to pitch tent in a high wind.

I can forsee no object before you which can justify the risk of accident to yourself or to the other members of your party.

I wish you to show these instructions to Debenham, who will take charge of the party in case you should be incapacitated.

I sincerely hope you will be able to accomplish your work without difficulty, and I am sure that Pennell will do his best to help you.  Yours,

(Signed) R.F.  SCOTT.

IV.—­INSTRUCTIONS FOR DOG TEAMS.

October 20.  DEAR MEARES,—­In order that there may be no mistake concerning the important help which it is hoped the dog teams will give to the Southern Party, I have thought it best to set down my wishes as under: 

Assuming that you carry two bags of oilcake to Hut Point, I want you to take these with five bags of forage to Corner Camp before the end of the month.  This will leave two bags of forage at Hut Point.

If the motors pass Hut Point en route for the Barrier, I should be glad to get all possible information of their progress.  About a day after they have passed if you are at Hut Point I should like you to run along their tracks for half a day with this object.  The motors will pick up the two bags of forage at Hut Point—­they should be placed in a convenient position for this purpose.

The general scheme of your work in your first journey over the Barrier has been thoroughly discussed, and the details are contained in Table VIII of my plan of which you should have a copy.  I leave you to fix the date of your departure from Hut Point, observing that I should like you to join me at One Ton Camp, or very shortly after.

We cannot afford to wait.  Look for a note from me at Corner Camp.  The date of your return must be arranged according to circumstances.  Under favourable conditions you should be back at Hut Point by December 19 at latest.